Today we’d like to introduce you to Susana Ramirez.
Susana, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I was an undergrad at FIU, I got involved with scientific field research. It was there that I had my first encounter with a shark in the wild. Being able to witness their strength, beauty and perseverance is what pushed me to want to work more within shark conservation. I started out with volunteering for other organizations and eventually formed my own nonprofit. Throughout the last decade, I’ve worked on several bills that have passed to protect multiple species of sharks, I’ve organized and executed campaigns all over the world, and it is my goal with Save the Sharks to involve our South Florida community more with the act of saving sharks!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When I first started out in shark conservation, it was difficult, in particular, with the general public. Most of the people I interacted with had extremely negative views of sharks, and hated them, and wanted them all dead. It’s been a long and difficult road, but I have noticed a change for the better with people’s perception of sharks. We have a long way to go, for sure, but it’s definitely not how it was back then.
We’d love to hear more about your organization.
Save The Sharks is a registered 501(c)3 shark conservation, and our main objective is to promote shark awareness and respect through community outreach and education initiatives. We specialize in shark education and conservation. What does that mean? Well, we do a ton of social media outreach with educational posts, images, and informative graphics. We also do a ton of community outreach events, but due to COVID-19, we had to scale back on those. Thankfully, we’ve been starting to slowly host events again. What sets us apart is the fact that we’re a bilingual, minority run nonprofit, and we focus on getting education out to the general public. Most shark orgs like to deal directly with scientists or individuals who are already shark aware. Our thought is that general education and awareness are what will help to create long-lasting change for shark conservation.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a very quiet child, and I always kept to myself. However, I always had an affinity to the animals of the sea. Ever since I was young, around eight years old, I can remember wanting to be a marine biologist. I remember going to my elementary school library and looking up on the internet what marine biologists made a year. I’ve always been a planner. I grew up around the ocean and having been born on an island, the sea is a huge part of my lifestyle and my personality. It’s only natural to have grown into the woman I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.savethesharksorg.com
- Phone: 3053021313
- Email: sav3thesharks@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savethesharksorg/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/savethesharks
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/savesharksorg
Image Credit:
All images have been taken by me (Susana Ramirez) or copyright Save The Sharks
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